OECD Guidelines for Managing Conflict of Interest in the Public Service

The primary aim of the Guidelines is to help member countries, at central government level, consider existing Conflict of Interest policy and practice relating to public officials - including public servants/civil servants, employees, and holders of public office - who work in the national public administration. The Guidelines can also provide general guidance for other branches of government, sub-national level government, and state-owned corporations.

In particular, the Guidelines reflect policies and practices that have proved effective in OECD countries, and are intended to:

Provides a practical framework of reference for reviewing and modernising existing policy solutions in line with good practice.

Promotes a public service culture in which conflicts of interest are properly identified and resolved or manager.

Supports partnerships between the public, private and non-profit sectors in identifying and managing conflict-of-interest situations.

Main Features_______________

The Guidelines reflect the fact that public officials may be expected to observe in particular the following core principles in dealing with conflict of interest matters to promote integrity in the performance of official duties and responsibilities:

Serving the public interest

Supporting transparency and scrutiny

Promoting individual responsibility and personal example

Engendering an organisational culture which is intolerant of conflicts of interest

Case Studies/ Country Experiences___________________________________

The report "Managing Conflict of Interest in the Public Service" highlights trends, approaches and models across OECD countries in a comparative overview that also presents examples of innovative and recent solutions.

Selected country case studies give more details on the implementation of policies in national contexts and on key elements of legal and institutional frameworks. The countries covered are Australia, Canada, France, Germany, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal and the United States.